Travel Smarter, Not Harder - Pro Travel Planning Tips 

Watching your videos is like chatting across the dinner table with friends. Thanks for the entertainment, and of course, your incites.

Four years of this life now. We are planned with varying levels of detail through early 2026. We always start with our dreams: “What does your perfect year look like?” We choose an area of the world-e.g. 2024 started with broad plan for Australia and New Zealand anchored by a World Cruise that has been delayed/deferred since 2021! 2025 is South America in the first part of the year, Portugal and southern England in the late spring and mid-summer. Again anchored by repositioning cruises and QM2 crossings. When transportation is planned, we start looking for accommodations (preferably for 3 to 8 weeks). We mix pet-sitting with temporary rentals with hotels for the “gap” nights. What we want to experience in a place is a mix of planned events vs. spontaneous ones. We also will build in 3-4 day getaways (e.g. while in Auckland, we hopped down to Queenstown for 5 days). We are never “doing” a city-we want as local/neighborhoody as we can get. I’ve just started planning for 2026-the year of Japan and Korea! We just booked the Queen Anne to take us from Southampton to Hong Kong where we’ll stay for a bit before heading on to Yokohama/Tokyo, also by cruise. Still researching other locations in Japan to stay at least a month or so. I’m making the bold plan for the fall of 2026 in the PNW as it is increasingly apparent that I need new knee(s). I hope my knees (and Kaiser Permanente) agree with this plan. Our regular temporary rentals in the PNW in Gig Harbor have increased their prices to the point that we’ll be doing more pet-sitting in the area when we are there. We both have medical needs that require time there every year. And, we DO like to see our kids at least annually-Thanksgiving seems to be the sweet spot for that. I put time into planning nearly every morning. I know some folks only do it on certain days so it doesn’t consume their time. Research has shown that the planning and anticipation of planning is just as satisfying as the travel itself. I agree completely!

I think you guys will love Budapest! My hubby and I were there summer of 2019 (we did VERY fast travel in that trip and hit 10 countries in 11 weeks) and LOVED the architecture, the people, the food and the costs were great compared to Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, UK. Have a fabulous time - thanks for all of the videos!! Karen from Marysville, WA

We closed on our house sale yesterday and now we start planning our world travels. Thank you so much for being a great resource for newbies like us.

Hello Brian & Carrie, we are fellow TrustedHouseSitters located in California. You may know this already, but if not, Australia & NZ are easy locations to find one month plus house sits. In 2023 we sat with a dog for a month in Melbourne plus a week with a cat in Sydney. Later this year we are returning for a one month deluxe beach front sit an hour north of Sydney including use of the car. AU is also a good springboard to Southeast Asia. We were in San Miguel last summer for two months and it was brutally hot and dry, like 92°+ daily highs and no rain for 6 weeks. Hope to meet you two out on the road one of these days.

Have a great day! You deserve it!

I'm glad that you're eventually going to go to South America.I remember mentioning Buenos Aires a while back and you commented about wanting to go there. While it's on my mind and my tiny travel journal is in front of me, I can list where I stayed. I keep a thick, but small 6-inch by 5-inch spiral journal and write down everything. In front of me is the one with all of my overseas trips from Dec 2006-April 2011 although I have other ones from as far back as 1973. It's fun to read them years later. Plus, it helps me plan future trips to some of the same places. I write down all expenses with details as to where I was, and where I stayed, ate, grocery shopped, regular shopped and what I did as in if I took a city tour, took taxis, buses, subway, etc. I'm one for writing things down in journals and was able to pull this one up in less than 30 seconds. My latest journal is from 2019-2020 while in Europe (summer 2019), Japan (summer 2019) and S.E. Asia ( Dec 2019 to Feb 2020) up until about 2 weeks before the lockdown. I hope to fill up that one in the future. I have stacks of those travel journals. As for my (apartment) accommodation in Buenos Aires (Palermo Hollywood) as I also had a few days in a hotel (Recoleta), I found my apartment through the website of Buenos Aires Habitat. It was easy and my 1 bedroom loft apartment was in a new building with a high security gate and a 24-hour guard. One needs to be cautious in B.A. I was at the Hollywood Suites and Loft in Palermo Hollywood at 5490 Nicaragua between Humberto and J.B. Justo. Loved the neighborhood and would go back to it even again as a female traveling solo. I just read some reviews and overall the building seems to still be quite decent as I googled it. I don't know what the prices are now as I was there in Dec 2008. But, although that particular building isn't listed at present on BuenosAiresHabitat, I just clicked on different locations and there is a wide range of prices and one can get a 30-day rental for as low as $1,200. As for Palermo, there are different ones; Palermo, Palermo Hollywood, Palermo Soho (more expensive), and Palermo Chico. I wandered around all over Buenos Aires. When I was in my Palermo Hollywood building, there were units being sold and others being rented out on a daily to monthly basis. Out of curiosity, I just pulled up apartments on the Buenos Aires Habitat website to see which buildings are listed in different areas and to check out the wide range of prices. There are a lot of apartments in Buenos Aires in general. One thing that was great in my neighborhood was that Morelia Restaurant at Humbolt 2005, was located caddy corner to my building and the food was delicious and inexpensive. I would go in and order food to go and could get two big fish filets and a heap of vegetables for around the equivalent of $8.00-$9.00. Then, I'd walk back across the street to the apartment and eat while watching TV. The staff at the restaurant was great at preparing my different meals to go. I also remember buying a few items at a grocery store, but don't remember, off the top of my head, where it was. I'll need to read further into my journal. LOL! Greetings from Los Angeles

We're also doing inland Mexico this fall. Very excited to watch your mexico adventures.

Love how you figure your budget by what things are important musthaves❤🍻

Retired expat living in Thailand six years. We travel each month. Long toad trips, internstionally every 3-4 months. Always within SE Asia. Air flights, hotels, food not inexpensive. Visit the US twice a year. Lookjng to rent an apt jn Phuket for a month in October. Off season and great. All good. Thanks for the great information. Safe travels.

Nice to hear how you plan your trips. A lot like the process I use. When you are in San Miguel de Allende, I HIGHLY recommend making a visit to Guanajuato. It is such an interesting and beautiful city. One of those places that just totally captivated me. Enjoy your travels!

Thank you for your time and posting.

More quality content. I had mentioned Carrie for a Masterclass on her booking process, this is a really good start. Your process by finding the flight, lodging and associated costs (like beer) for pivoting to Budapest from Crete in June. This is terrific, and shows the work and effort required to find these places that you both enjoy for the budget that you have. Cheers!

My favorite couple happy travels from Las Vegas nv Thank you for all the good info!

I relate to so much of what you are saying… Although we are not full-time travelers like you guys, we have been traveling more and more the last few years and include several stops. So yes, it is like a puzzle or I always say like Rubik’s cube to put everything together. And, yes, I have found it can make all the difference in the world to determine what the order of cities is and how to get from one to the other. We are currently in Parma Italy and enjoying a smaller beautiful city without hardly any tourists after coming over on a great deal we got on a transatlantic cruise. Always enjoy your videos, keep up the great work and enjoy every moment❤

You should just fly cdmx to oaxaca. Cheap and fast vs a near 10hr bus ride.

Very helpful video.Thanks!

Thanks for the great suggestions and encouragement that the planning process will get easier! 💜

Great slow travel overview, systematic planning processes with flexibility It deserves a 1m views!

Great video as always, I cant wait for you guys to visit South America, specially Brazil, Argentina and Chile

Brian and Carrie you do deserve it!🇨🇦

Excellent overview 👏🏼👏🏼

This is awesome! Thank you for sharing!!

Hi B&C - Budapest in June, how fun. I am going to be there 1st 4 days of June. If you are there, would love to have a glass of wine or beer. Also, hubby and I were in SMA in Mexico in 2021. Beautiful area however not as inexpensive as a few years back. Friendly people. Have fun!

one of the most informative and useful for me, so thank you so much!

Best video ever! So many layers to the plan and resources. Maybe we can afford more countries than we expected.

You two are amazing 👍👍

Hey Brian and Carrie, You mentioned you looked into the safety of an area as well as the locations of grocery stores, sites to see, and the walkability of an area when selecting your accommodations in a new location. What internet sites or indicators do you look at to gauge the safety of any area? Thank you and we love you guys! Keep them coming!

There is lots of good information in this video! I enjoyed every minute! It makes me think about some of the things that I do and the order in which I do them. I just finished five weeks in Querétaro, Mexico and that included short overnight stays in SMA, Guanajuato and Bernal. I loved all that time in the Central Highlands! You will have a great time!

Another great video, thanks! It would be fantastic if you could add chapters to your videos 😀

Fantastic video title clicked on it straight away! I want to be smarter!

I love your dynamics! #coupleGOALS Probably because it really reminds me of my hubby and myself. Carrie doing all the brain work as Brian's "app" is the real secret to all their globe trotting. LOL! Great job once again and keep up the wonderful work, guys!

I watch ya'll weekly and am glad to hear of your plans. Just check in Mexico the safer areas. Some parts of Mexico may be very dangerous. I grew up on the border with Mexico in the Brownsville Texas area and I used to travel by my self all over Mexico but the troubles are real in some areas and I would hate to see you affected by this. I don't go to Mexico at all anymore unless I know it is a safe area like San Miguel and Mexico City. Not sure about Oaxaca and the surrounding area. Lots of expats in the Ajijic area on Lake Chapala. Be safe and enjoy.

I have immersed myself in your channel! Considering following your lead in Fall 2025! Have fun...

I love you two. Always looking at the cost of beer and wine. My kind of people.😊

great info guys thanks jeff so cali beach guy

I lived in SMA. It’s cool. Check out Guanajuato city and the mountains around it for hikes. Valle de Bravo should be on your list too.

Next time you might consider Alanya, Turkey. They still have beautiful apartments for month of June under 1000 US.

The usual great video. We travel a lot. Yes, flexibility is key.

We love the Algarve and have been going there for the past seven winters. We also spend the month of January in San Miguel…so we are on the same wavelength.

Great video guys. I found out the hard way that Thailand airbnbs bill entire amount, and it is 8 months out. Ouch. This months budget is squeaky tight now. I actually booked places before the flights, because I saw half of my ❤ locations disappeared. And we are doing 30 days at 3 locations. Thanks for the tips about checking neighboring airports, because I had done 2 airports, but not 4+, I'm trying to get RT to Bangkok for close to $800, in December, til March. Wish me luck. It's dropped from $1300 to $1000 ,so far.😊

A little late with the comment here but have to say thank you for confirming that I’m not ‘doing it wrong’ .. and that even after two years you still sometimes get a lil stressed! Lol 4.5 months in and loving full time travel but darn the planning is sometimes like going back to a job, albeit a fun one 😉 Fyi.. in Australia now on a dog/housesit. New Zealand next month for another one. Two places we thought might not fit our budget but these sits helped tremendously! And we found both Australia and New Zealand have a lot of housesits available. Apparently a lot of wanderlust from living on these remote islands. And they love their pets! So your visit to these amazing countries may happen sooner than later! As always, thanks for the great info!! Travel on!

Budapest is beautiful but costs are going to be comparable to rest of EU for food. Make sure to book a day ticket to the Szechenyi thermals and go in the morning with less crowds. It is a beautiful city that is easily walkable.

Great tip about google flight costs to "anywhere". I didn't know.

You are both excellent. I would appreciate it if you have the tech skills to divide and title your subjects. We are experienced travelers that would like to easily skip from familiar topics to some if your unique insights. Keep traveling and keep up the good work. Pat k

Great video. I think you will be flying into QRO and not San Miguel though. It's about 1.30 drive:)

Which websites do you use for living costs? Thank you so much for all the info you share!!!

Thanks for new info on expedia short term stays. I remember in previous video you mentioned using Amaz Firestick with long travel. Does your stick have a VPN programmed in it? Cuz their are streaming services that don't want to work outside US and several Airbnbs only offer a cable TV in the local language. Thanks in advance! Look forward to your next content.

I must say that your channel has given us such great insight and inspiration and we are about to retire early and head out for a new chapter of full time travel! We have a question for you about your Away bigger carry on bag. We are on the fence between carrying Osprey Farview/Fairpoint backpacks or going with Away roller bags. We plan to use Ryanair, Wizz, and Easyjet airlines to hop between European destinations. Wondering if you or any other travelers can offer suggestions or personal experiences getting these bags on the smaller budget airlines as carry on baggage? Our clock is ticking to decide between the 2 options as we are heading out in June. So excited!! We truly appreciate all the knowledge you have shared with us over the past couple years. We are huge fans!!

I am curious if while going through your checklist of where to travel to next if you also consider the Political Climate for both the country and / or regions with the country (South America and maybe even Mexico)? Do you check your Government's travel advisories? Health advisories?

Thank you for another great video! When you go back home and leave again do you buy a 1 way ticket?

Hi Brian and Carrie it might be worth you looking at Santander (northern Spain) I’ve just come back from a 4 day trip and was really impressed with the place it is lovely,and one of the most less expensive places I’ve been in a very long time, wine from as little as €1.50 lots of places to visit close by and transport very low cost as well, beautiful beaches as well, love your vlogs (Annette)

I hope Peru is in your plans for South America. Such an amazing country.

Yall are just fantastic. Videos and now the podcast are great and such a good listen while being informative. Mentioning air bnb for your stays. Do you rely on the reviews for your stays ? Do you find you have availability to negotiate price when you stay 28 days + ?!? Or is the monthly $$ online the rate you go with ?? Keep up the efforts. Travel safe

Greetings from Crete Brian and Carrie: I think you might be here now getting blown away and very dusty from the winds. After 4.5 years living here I have had enough of these winds and dust. Check the wind forecast before you head out to the south coast beach towns. In the tourist season you will get cheap direct flights out of Chania to many EU destination. Enjoy Budapest and Mexico. There is a big expat community in San Miguel Allende. Safe Travels.

funny description below your video ... i like 😂❤👍🥰 i always struggle with planing. Hate it 🫣😜

I edited as I see at the end of your video, you are going to Oaxaca city, I assume by ADO bus- The ADO Platino is even a nicer bus. Unfortunately, there is a water shortage in Oaxaca so you may wish to check if they are still rationing water or turning it off as the hotels receive first priority, before Airbnbs. You can also take the bus from Oaxaca city to the beautiful Pacific coast, which is a long journey, but with the new highway, it shortens the journey, slightly.

Carrie you mentioned returning to Turkey for further dental care. Are you returning because it’s the same dentist or or doesn’t that matter? More to do with good level of care and cost effectiveness! Thinking of heading there this year for good dental care too! Thanks guys for ALL of your info! 👍

Hi, thank you so much for all the hard work you do and posting these videos! They are really helpful. we’re retiring next year and plan to travel from San Antonio, Texas to Greece, Turkey and Croatia on a limited budget for about five weeks starting mid April. I heard you say you use Google flights, you’re flexible on the dates and you track the flights. Could you tell me how far in advance you book your flights? Also, when you say you track the flights, do you manually go into Google flights every day for say a week or two to track them or how long do you track them and do you have an app you like that tracks them for you? Any tips you could give me saving money for this trip would be much appreciated! Thanks for all you do:)

San Miguel is wonderful, but don't sleep on Mexico City its one of the great cities of the world. Surprisingly green, and really no more expensive than San Miguel.

Hey folks, loving all these informational videos. Did think of a question for ya, did y’all skip Cambodia while in SE Asia? If so, why? I’m currently back in the states planning my next bounce and am looking at staying a little closer this time, perhaps 3-6 months in Panama, Costa Rica, and Columbia. Hoping to do SE Asia next year with hops to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand and since I’ll be in that part of the world, investigate jumping to the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand for a few months. Anyhow, keep up the great videos!

Explorer Mode...🤔🌍 📌 Nice. Do you feel like explorers going to these Eastern European countries, and finding these hidden gems? 😮

You may have shared this before but Do you use any travel planning software or a spreadsheet for your trips? Like an Excel spreadsheet for planning or TripIt during trips? Any suggestions would be great

Mexico has a 17% hotel and AirBnB tax plus 3 percent sales tax. Add 20% to the price of a hotel

Hello, I just watched the video, but I still have a question. Do you book one-way or round trip flights? Apologies if this has already been answered. Thanks for your great videos. We are starting our travels this August. Dolomites and Slovenia for 6 weeks.

Do you ever look at the flights Seaford area like Southeast Asia and then decide OK well there’s a cheap flight to Hanoi so that’s where we’re going to start and then work around the fifth or maybe it’s a cheap flight to Malaysia or whatever. Does that ever come in to play? Thanks Brian

@BrianandCarrie How do you guys get around or deal with exit ticket requirements for tourist visas when entering a country while remaining flexible with flights and travels to the next country?

I always look at the planning process as fun. RU-vid, online apps make things easy.

How exactly do you check grocery prices and cost of living in general?

I would say don’t have your heart set on one place where you might go over budget or scrimp so much that you don’t enjoy it. If you go someplace and find it too expensive don’t be afraid or let down to move to a different city.

What’s the best resource for finding entry requirements for the countries you’re researching?

Can you explain more about this "explorer mode" you mentioned to find and compare flight prices for multiple destinations? Is this a feature in Expedia?

Re “deserving” nice accommodations…my very healthy marathon running cousin got shingles from his two week long vacation…which he attributed to too-cheap accommodations and not being able to sleep and feel comfortable. I think it’s better to wait til you have the right budget for decent accommodations. Not “fancy” but think about it: an uncomfortable bed is just not worth it. So…Brian and Carrie are right again 🤣

How are you able to research those grocery costs of areas you are investigating?

A couple of questions about prescriptions. You said you could get them filled. Did you just take your empty bottle in? Did you have to see a local doctor to get a new rx written? More details would be super helpful. Thanks!

Have you said what you budget for transportation each month?

Thanks always for great videos. We are retiring this year and moving to Kitsap county. We will definitely stay home during the gorgeous summer time there! My question today is, when you had a house, how did you take care of the house while you were gone for a long time? I’d feel uncomfortable leaving the house unoccupied for weeks. Please share how you did it. Thank you 😊

Do you find it is cheaper to fly during the week (Tues or wed).?

How do you determine if an area is safe? Where do you check?

Have you checked out hotel prices w/ breakfast included? I've been surprised that those options can actually be less expensive, include laundry and have a couch in the room. That may not work for you, but wanted to throw it out there.

What is your yearly budget? Asking so have a reference point.

I am always surprised about your finding that the food from supermarkets etc would be expensive in France. Outside Paris I have always found everything quite reasonable.

If you guys are going to Buenos Aires, look at doing an Antartica cruise. Maybe not one where you set foot on Antartica (very expensive) but one that cruises around Antartica (more affordable). Once you are there and you paid for the air ticket all the way to Buenos Aires, why not?!

What is a reputable website to find housesitting USA and international?

Where in Mexico are you going for monthly stays?

Very informative podcast again 😊 could you explain how you research your grocery costs and neighbourhoods before you go, which websites do you use?

I was just curious, why do you plan for 28 days rather than 30?

Soo do you keep a your car in the states? Medical insurance? I'm leaving monday for the Philippines for 3 monthes. I put my stuff in storage. When I get back I'll spend a month with family and friends. I figure why pay rent for a place when I'm gone that long. Maybe I should try something like this.

What cities are you going to in Mexico?

There are a few things I have encountered. I have visited two different countries when the pope has visited big travel headaches. I have flown into cities when the president was visiting big delays.

Of course Seattle is the most beautiful city in the world after Boston. 😊

Btw the new name is Turkiye and pronounced differently sounds like Turkey-a

30 minutes for every video is just wayyyyyyyyy too long for my sked, so lately I just spend 3-4 minutes fast forwarding thru each vid + catching a few highlights here and there instead of watching the whole thing

Good advice. We hate hate hate layovers and are willing to pay a small premium for direct flights. I hate having a 10 hour travel day when we could get there in about 2-3 hours.

I hope that you are in good health and enjoying your life. Suggestions for video content, and very important concerns while abroad: In order to help people in general while traveling abroad, and since you are such a good communicator, I would like to suggest the following topics for you to address, if possible, please: The importance of having a will and power of attorney for both property and personal care. What if you get demented while living or traveling abroad without family or friends...who is going to decide for you during that critical moment? What to do if one has no family, wife or kids and start losing our memory while living abroad...should one see a lawyer regarding our assets, and other issues? How does one solve the issue of (yahoo, face book etc.) accounts passwords as well as credit cards PIN in case of sudden death abroad...should we contact a lawyer about the same? The importance of having a laminated card in your luggage with all the necessary, and very important contact information regarding the executor of your will, power of attorney, or any other major issue in case of sudden death abroad. The importance of having funeral arrangements made in case of sudden death while traveling abroad. Options for doing and paying the yearly income tax return while traveling abroad? How to get your mail from back home while living and traveling abroad? The importance of advising your banks about your travels plans abroad so that your credit / debit cards don't get cancelled while you are traveling. The importance of having good antitheft luggage while abroad to keep you safe. The importance of having a hobby while retired to keep mind and body busy. The importance of seeing a financial advisor in order to prepare for retirement. The suggested early retirement formula to reach (F.I.R.E.) or Financial Independence Retire Early. (Total annual expenses x 25) =F.I.R.E. money. Outliving your retirement savings, and the impact of inflation on the monthly budget. The importance of seeing your family doctor for a physical check-up, and getting vaccinated against hepatitis, malaria etc. before going abroad. The importance of having more than one way of getting to your money while abroad. The importance of having travel medical insurance while traveling abroad and your (insurance company suggestions). Stay healthy, safe and thank you.

where in south america? Buenos Aires is the best! palermo neighborhood. the usd vs peso is good ut not quite as good as last year all the best